Snape detractors unsophisticated?

[Sherry Gomes]

No: HPFGUIDX 137741

As the Snape debates have raged since the release of HBP--although when have
Snape debates not raged--those on either side of the argument have fiercely
and valiantly defended their positions.  It has been wonderful spirited
debate, and I've enjoyed it, even when I disagree.  However, lately, we who
believe Snape is pure evil have been accused of things such as being
unsophisticated readers or attacking the author or being boring or various
other such things.  I, for one, have never said such things about Snape
defenders.

So, ok, i thought I'd tackle this thing.  I'm responding to several things,
so if I don't attribute correctly, please forgive me.  I'm trying to keep it
general, because I do not want to seem to be accusing any one person or
group of people.  I am merely defending the Snape detractors.

It has been said that we do not argue with canon, that the Snape defenders
use piles of canon to back up their opinions, but we do not.  That we only
react on emotion or just because we hate Snape.  We are unsophisticated
because we actually like Harry Potter.  Ok, in many, many posts in the last
few weeks, several Snape detractors have reiterated that they interpret the
canon in different ways.  For example, the fight between Harry and Snape is
seen by Snape defenders as Snape giving Harry one more lesson as he flees
Hogwarts.  To me, as a Snape detractor, I see it as taunting.  same canon,
different interpretation.

Defenders claim that Snape's rage at being called coward is because he has
just committed the noble brave act of murdering the one person in the world
who trusted and believed in him.  As a detractor, I ask, and i have asked
several times, how is it brave to murder a weak and sick old man?  in any
society that is considered murder and would have you off to court and
prison.  


As for the Dumbledore was dying argument, again, there is no actual canon
that says definitively Dumbledore is dying from the poison in the basin in
the cave.  It's been said that if Dumbledore asked Snape to kill him, that
would not be considered murder.  I would think that in the minds of the WW,
it would still be murder, as much as it would be murder in the eyes of a
family member if my defense upon killing my best friend was that my friend
begged me to do it.

As for canon on the detractor side, several of us have said that from all we
know of Dumbledore, over six books, we believe it is absolutely out of
character for Dumbledore to ask anyone to commit murder.  Now especially
since HBP, because we have learned about horcruxes and been told that murder
splits the soul.  My interpretation of canon Dumbledore is that he would not
under any circumstances ask another person to commit murder, and especially
not Snape.  Snape's soul must already have been torn by murder, or are we
supposed to believe that his years as a death eater were free of murder,
either by potions or by unforgivable curses?  Dumbledore, Dumbledore, of any
character in the entire series, ask another person to kill?  We have even
been told in the past that the great auror Moody didn't use the unforgivable
Curses.  Are we really supposed to believe Dumbledore would expect Snape to
do so?  This is from my interpretation of canon, not my admittedly emotional
feelings about the act of taking another person's life for any reason.

Ok, the great Snape Dumbledore plan.  Again, my interpretation of Canon
doesn't see a plan that would end up in Dumbledore's murder by Snape.  It
can't possibly help the cause because nobody on the good side will believe
anything Snape says.  Dumbledore was making plans to help Draco right up to
the moment that Snape swept onto the scene.  again, this is canon.  Is this
a man who is expecting to die?  most of all, Harry, in OOTP, as has been
pointed out by several detractors, Dumbledore admits he had a plan that went
all wrong because he failed to inform Harry.  So, please, explain to me,
why, why, why, would Dumbledore not inform Harry this time around?  He has
been alone with Harry many times during the year, with ample opportunities
to fill him in.  I don't buy the Voldemort might see into his mind theory,
because Harry knows a lot of things that Dumbledore might wish Voldemort did
not know.  He even tells Harry that Voldemort has realized the danger to his
own plans by being in Harry's head.  JKR tells us Harry won't be good at
occlumency, because he is too emotional.  i think the whole occlumency story
line is done.  Just my interpretation of canon.

The pleading words of Dumbledore.  I don't think any Snape detractors have
claimed that Dumbledore was pleading for his life.  we know from canon, that
Dumbledore does not fear death.  "Death is the next great adventure."  But I
don't think Dumbledore would want to die with his work unfinished.  Draco
and Harry are both examples of unfinished work, to me anyway.  I don't know
what the pleading, but even if it was, "don't betray me, Severus." I can
imagine that.  Dumbledore's version of "Judas, must you betray me with a
kiss?"


Harry, Harry, Harry.  Yes, I am biased in Harry's behalf.  I first met him
as a 15 month old infant, being held in the arms of a giant on a flying
motor bike.  I fell for that child.  I wondered what would happen to him
when he was left on the Dursleys' door step.  He's not mature enough to be
as complicated or complex as Snape seems to be.  that takes years of living.
Yet, Harry is the hero.  the books are named for him.  Unlike some others, I
don't find him boring or uninteresting.  I admit I like many of the adult
characters, Dumbledore, Lupin, Sirius, Moody, but I do still enjoy Harry's
life.  He seems to me to have about the right mix of boy and hero to make
him interesting.  He struggles with his fame; he has a saving people thing;
he has a temper; he rushes in before he thinks; he has to learn so many
things the hard way; he doesn't ask questions and it's hard for him to learn
to trust adults in that way; he argues with his friends; he falls for a
shallow pretty face like Cho; he save the life of his nasty bully of a
cousin; he learns to feel pity for Draco, even if it's just a little pity,
definite maturing there; he has a lot of self doubt and doesn't see himself
as being as strong as I think he is or will be.  I do find him interesting.
I don't think that makes me unsophisticated.  after all, I find a lot of
people in the RW to be very interesting as well.  JKR has written six books
so far about Harry potter.  She has made him interesting to me.  She has
made me care about what happens to him and made me want to see him be the
true hero, for that saving people thing of his to win the day at last!

As for criticizing the author, each side has claimed that the way the other
side sees it would be boring and bad writing.  it isn't a question of that
for me.  I write, but I do not think I can write this story better than JKR,
or that the way I see things is the right or only way they should go.
Please, don't put words in our mouths.  I have said that I may not like the
way things go, and there are certain things that would cause me not to want
to read future books by JKR.  That is not a criticism of her skill as a
writer.  I think she is a brilliant story teller.  In future, I may not want
to read the stories she tells, but that doesn't make them any less
brilliant.  so, no matter whose version of Snape is correct, she has done a
great job.  Her story has taken the world by storm, got kids reading again,
created massive debates over characters like Snape, ships and anything else.
I respect her very much.  I read her stuff and think, I could never tell a
story like that!  So, I am not criticizing JKR, when I say there are show
stoppers for me.  I would just be saying, if that time comes, that there are
some stories I don't like to read.  that is not a put down of the teller.
However, I have confidence, that however Jo ends the series, she will not
disappoint.  She hasn't disappointed me yet, and I don't expect that she
will.  Whatever she ends up doing, she will make it work.  



Sherry